Cyprus: National selection dates and more details released

CyBC, the Cypriot national broadcaster has confirmed to ESCToday the full agenda and dates for the forthcoming 2015 Cypriot Eurovision national selection- Eurovision Song Project and has revealed more details regarding the upocoming Cypriot Eurovision project.

The 2015 Cypriot national selection will consist of a total of 9 televised shows ( 6 Audition shows, 2 Eurochallenge shows, 1 Grand Final). The shows are scheduled to kick off on Sunday 7 December at 20:30 CET ( 21:30 local time) and will be aired on RIK 1, RIK Sat via satellite (Hotbird) and will be streamed on RIK’s official website. A total of 55 acts will battle for the golden ticket to Vienna in the national selection process. Ms Antri Kerantoni will have the honour of hosting the national selection.

The 2015 Cypriot national final will be aired live from Nicosia on Sunday 1 February. The 2015 Cypriot Eurovision entry will be selected via a 50/50 jury-televoting deliberation.

Eurovision Song Project Agenda.

07/12- Audition Show 1

14/12- Audition Show 2

21/12- Audition Show 3

28/12- Audition Show 4

04/01- Audition Show 5

11/o1 -Audition Show 6

18/01- Eurochallenge 1 – Show 8 (20 acts)

25/01 – Eurochallange 2 – Show 9 (10 acts)

01/02- Grand Final- Show 10 (6 acts)

The Format

A total of 55 acts will be presented during the first 6 televised audition shows. Each week the jury will be resposible to select an undertermined number of acts for the next phase- The Eurochallange Phase.Hence the jury will shortlist the 55 acts to 20. Hereafter a total of 20 acts will battle in the Eurochallenge 1 Show, where the top 10 will proceed to the next televised show Eurochallenge 2. During the penultimate programme Eurochallange 2Show, 10 acts will fight for 6 places in the grand final. The top 6 acts will proceed to the grand final. A total of 6 acts will battle for the right to fly the Cypriot colours at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna at the Grand Final.

Public televoting will kick right after the Eurochallenge Show 2 on 25 January and will conclude on 1 Februry during the 2015 Cypriot Eurovision National Final. The Cypriot audience will have the chance to vote for their favorite act throughout the week. We must not forget that the Cypriot public will play a key role in selecting the Cypriot representative for Vienna, as 50% of the deliberation will lie in their hands.

Christer Bjorkman and Dimitris Kontopoulos will join the jury during the the Eurochallenge Phase shows of the national selection: during the Eurochallenge 1 Show the jury will shorlist 10/20 entries. Hereafter during the Eurochallenge Show 2 the jury will yet again make its deliberation and select the 6 lucky acts that will battle for the golden ticket to Vienna in the grand final.

Bruno Berberes will join the jury during the grand final of the 2015 Cypriot national selection on 1 February and will help the jury select the 2015 Cypriot Eurovision entry and representative.

About Cyprus in Eurovision…

Cyprus will be back in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015 after a year’s absence from the event in 2014. Cyprus decided to withdraw from the competition in 2014 due to financial reasons.

Cyprus debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981 with Island’s Monika and is yet to win Europe’s favourite television show. The Mediterranean island’s best placing at the contest has been a 5th placing in 1982, 1997, and 2004.

The last time Cyprus competed in the competion was in 2013 when Despina Olympiou represented Cyprus at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with her entry An me thimase, failing to qualify to the final.

Stay tuned to ESCToday.com for the latest information on Cyprus, the 2015 Cypriot Eurovision national selection and the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest!

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Sanjay (Sergio) joined esctoday.com in December 2006 as an editor. He was appointed as the Head of Press of ESCToday.com in 2011. Hereafter in 2016 he was promoted as the Head of International Relations & Communications at ESCToday. Sergio has covered the Eurovision Song Contest live 17 times since 2000, having worked for several international magazines and media outlets.